La selva

Last week I got to do something I have always dreamed of: going to the Amazon rainforest. The first day we traveled there by plane, boat, bus, and then boat. It's that isolated. We first went down the Napo River, into indigenous as well as oil company territory, and then down the Tiputini River. We stayed at Tiputini Biodiversity Station which is owned by USFQ.

On the way there, we saw river dolphins coming up for air. We had to stop the boat repeatedly to look at all of the amazing wildlife we were already seeing. Once we got to the station, we went swimming because the station is incredibly hot and humid. We all stayed in cabins that were supplied with treated water from the river and electricity 2 times per day. I felt very isolated from the rest of the world and I loved it.

On the second day, we met our guide Myer, and he took us on several hikes throughout Tiputini's land. First, we went to the tower, a structure with lots of stairs and a platform sitting on top of a giant seba tree. From there, we could see above the canopy of the rainforest in every direction. We stood up there for about an hour looking for wildlife and enjoying the view. From here, there was nothing but trees in every direction.

 

The stairs up to the tower.

From the tower, we saw woolly monkeys, toucans, parrots, lots of other birds, and lots of epiphytes, or plants that live on the branches of trees. After the tower, we went over to the bridges, which are Indiana Jones-style rope bridges that span the canopy. We had to wear harnesses while we walked the bridges and connect them to cables in case the bridges collapsed which was scary but reallllly cool. It was so fun and gave us a great view of the forest, even though I was repeatedly bitten by ants.

After lunch, we went to a lagoon and took a canoe around to see the wildlife living there. The vegetation there was so beautiful, with small islands of palms and vines throughout the muddy water. We saw some amazing birds like the Hoatzin and Oropendola, which makes really cool nests that hang from trees and has an awesome call.

Oropendola nests

Everyday I spent at Tiputini I swam in the river. It felt great to get in the cold water after being in the heat and humidity all day. The rainforest is so humid that we had to keep our electronics in a "dry box" or else they would stop working after a day. The river had a strong current that we would float in, and after we got out, our skin and hair would be really soft due to the minerals in the river.

One day, we had a class discussion about the issues that the oil companies have brought to the indigenous communities and the rainforest. It was eye-opening to learn about how the social dynamics of indigenous people have changed since the oil companies have introduced Western industry and economics into the lives of these people. Since the indigenous people now have the need for money, they have created an industry of killing wild game and using the oil company's transportation to sell it at a market. This is causing "empty forest syndrome" in this area because the forest is still intact, but the indigenous people are taking animals out at a fast rate. Coming up with a solution for this problem in our class discussion was very difficult.

The last day we floated down the river in life jackets which was really fun. At night, we rode a boat down the river to see some caimans, which are relatives of alligators and crocodiles. When we were returning, we saw the full moon over the river, which was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and will always stay with me as an image of the Amazon. It's hard to describe one of the most biodiverse places on earth, but the rainforest was a place that felt more alive than anywhere I've been. I really hope I can go back one day and maybe do something to help this amazing place.

Now, here are some more pictures of the Amazon. Since I only had a smartphone that didn't work very well for pictures, most of these are taken from Meg Sullivan and April Woerner because they had awesome cameras and are great photographers.

Spider monkeys

Caiman

Next to a huge fig tree

Dung beetle

My hand after it was dyed by a fruit

Week 1

I've now been living in Ecuador for a week. I had a tough time getting here because I realized that my plane was arriving a day earlier than everyone else's, so I had to change my flight. So my first lesson has been to always check dates.
My host family met me at the airport on Saturday night. I have a host father, Raul, and mother, Cati. They are really great and interesting people, and their three children are studying at schools in Germany and America. My roommate Ashley and I live in the rooms of their two girls. They also have a chihuahua named Picasso and a husky named Luc.
We had orientation on Monday and Tuesday. The university talked to us about how dangerous the city of Quito is and how we can stay safe while living here. We went on a bus tour of Quito through the university and my host dad also drove my roommate and I through the city. It's very old and very beautiful, with lots of colors, amazing views, and lots of churches. This is San Francisco church, the oldest in Quito.

Ecuadorians are some of the most friendly people I've ever met. Although the university kept warning us to watch out for criminals preying on gringos, I feel at home here. The other night, Cati made cookies and tea for her friends and neighbors, and we sat around the table and talked--I mostly listened because they were speaking Spanish. Whenever you meet someone new or see a friend, it's customary to kiss them on the cheek. I really like how open and inviting the people are, though I do get stared at quite a bit because I am an outsider. A couple of neighbors took us out for drinks that night and we talked about Ecuadorian culture and Spanish phrases that we should know, and it was really fun.

I started class on Wednesday. I'm taking Tropical Ecology and Beginner's Spanish. Our campus is SO beautiful, but extremely confusing because the buildings are all connected which makes it kind of like a labry

The main hall at USFQ, Maxwell.

nth.
Next week, I will be traveling to Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Amazon. I am so excited for this trip! We are going to stay in cabins all week in the rainforest and see so many plants and animals that we have never seen before. The week after that, we have a trip to Chimborazo, the tallest mountain in Ecuador and closest place on earth to the sun, as well as Mindo, where a cloud forest is located. The trips we get to take in this program are amazing.

Chimborazo

I love living in the mountains. The view is gorgeous everywhere you look. Today we went to a place called Papallactas, a small Andean town with lots of hot springs. We went swimming in these super hot pools with views of the mountains on all sides. It was so high up that for the first time, I was having trouble breathing. Still, it was really beautiful and I saw what a small Andean community looks like.

I've gone out a few times as well, every time with Ecuadorian people. The night life is really fun; last night we went to a club and I learned to dance the merengue and salsa. Dancing here is so much different than it is in the U.S., it's faster and actually requires some skill. I had a lot of fun this week and as excited I am to go to the Galapagos, I wish we had a little more time in Quito. I've met some great people so far and there are so many opportunities to make friends and experience Ecuadorian culture. Though the first few days I was having some trouble adjusting, I think I am beginning to get comfortable here. The most difficult part of living here is not being able to speak Spanish, but I think I will become better eventually.

I will be gone next week, but my next post will be about my trip to the Amazon!